iPhone 7 – Review in progress

iPhone 7 – Review in progress

I have been using the iPhone 7 for four days now. I will be updating this review over the next week before giving it a final score.
If you haven’t heard yet the iPhone 7 is out in the wild. Data suggests that for the first time ever it’s the plus-sized model that’s outselling the smaller 4.7-inch iPhone. I can understand why, too. It’s by far the more interesting phone – the dual-sensor camera is dead clever. It does something no other mainstream phone can, namely offer optical zoom.

That’s not to say the iPhone 7 isn’t pulling its weight. It comes with a fine camera that I’m increasingly getting more appreciative of. While it has the same megapixels as before the improvements Apple has made means it’s much, much better in low-light – the Achilles heel of many a smartphone.
For all its good parts, and there are many, the iPhone 7 has left many in a state of ambiguity. Can you live without a headphone jack? I can, but others might not be as accommodating.

Day 3 & 4: Performance and waterproofing

The iPhone 7 feels faster than the iPhone 6S running iOS 9. Part of that is the newer iOS 10. It comes with accelerated animations, which makes it feel quicker than before.
That’s certainly not to say that Apple is trying to trick us with software improvements. Not at all. The iPhone 7 is the most powerful phone I’ve ever used – a statement borne out by its incredible benchmark results.
The iPhone 7 packs the new A10 Fusion core and it’s a blinder. There’s a reason for the ‘Fusion’ moniker. For the first time Apple is using a 2 x 2 core CPU configuration. Two of the cores are powerful and used for the heavy lifting – 3D gaming, multitasking and the like. The other two are low-powered and much more efficient – perfect for light tasks like sending texts.
image: http://static.trustedreviews.com/94/00003ae1f/3b57_orh616w616/iphone-15.jpg
If that all sounds familiar that’s because it’s not new. Plenty of phones have been using this method to preserve battery life, usually in 4 x 4 configuration. It’s based on ARM’s big.LITTLE design and I’ve generally been impressed with phones using it. The A10 Fusion is no different.
We’ve moved to the latest version of Geekbench 4 as it has a wider range of tests and better iPhone 7 compatibility compared to its predecessor.
The iPhone 7 is 30% faster than the iPhone 6S. It’s also 12% more powerful than the Galaxy S7.

It’s in the graphics department that the A10 really shines, though. The new six-core GPU scores a massive 37,349 on our standard Ice Storm Unlimited test – 30% better than the iPhone 6S and Galaxy S7. That really is incredible performance.

But the question it begs is – does it really matter? I always like having a powerful phone, but these devices are so powerful now that there aren’t noticeable differences in use. Sure games can jack up the polygons and look slicker, but other than that there’s not a huge amount to do on an iPhone that the previous generation A9 couldn’t handle.
I am looking forward to seeing the A10 in the next generation of iPad Pros, however.
Where the new processor really seems to make a difference to day-to-day use is to the iPhone 7’s battery life. I’m still testing its stamina, but so far it seems to last about 10% longer than before. Useful stuff.
So the iPhone 7 is fast and battery efficient, but it’s one of its other headline features that I’ve appreciated most of all over the past few rainy days.
Water-resistant phones have been around for a while, but up to a few years ago they were as much of a chore as a benefit. That’s because phones like the Sony Xperia Z1 and Galaxy S5 had annoying flaps over the charging port you had to make sure were shut tight. Not so with the iPhone 7. It manages to be IP67 (can last 30 minutes in up to 1m of water) without needing any flaps.
It’s not the first time a phone has done this. In fact both the latest Sony Xperia XZ and Galaxy S7 are water-resistant to a slightly better IP68 rating. They also manage to keep their headphone jacks. Imagine that.
Still, water-resistance is a great feature and one I needed on a wet weekend camping. The iPhone 7 breezed through a few downpours and a stint on some very wet grass. It really gives peace of mind.
Read on for day one and two of my review diary where I cover the design, cameras, design and screen quality. Come back soon for the next part of my iPhone 7 review in progress.

Day 2: Popping screen and loud speakers

One thing that is immediately apparent on the iPhone 7 is that the screen is warmer. Whites aren’t quite as dazzling as on the 6S and I actually prefer the old screen when reading an ebook or websites that have a white background.
That all changes when I want to watch a movie or scroll through my photo album.
The iPhone 7’s screen is richer than ever before, without looking oversaturated. Apple claims the range of colours it uses are wider. It has the DCI-P3 gamut that 9.7-inch iPad Pro and iMac uses, and that’s a very good thing. It means more colours and that means tones can be more realistic.
It’s perfect for a Netflix binge. Skin tones still look natural, but more life-like than before, and dark scenes look good too. Colours are punchier without losing the refinement I’ve always liked about iPhone screens. It’s definitely an improvement, but still not on par with the best AMOLED screens out there to my eyes.

The 4.7-inch screen is plenty sharp too, even though the resolution hasn’t changed. Apple is resolutely sticking to its Retina guns, and that’s fine – if you don’t want to use the iPhone 7 with a VR headset that is. Plonk it into Google Cardboard or similar and the resolution becomes an issue. If you don’t care about that then it’s no problem at all.
Sound is one of the areas that Samsung hasn’t really cracked with its Galaxy S range. HTC does a much better job thanks to the stereo Boomsound speakers and the iPhone 7 emulates these to some degree. It’s not quite as successful, though.
Let’s start with the good. The iPhone 7 is loud – very loud. In fact it’s almost twice as loud as the iPhone 6S and that’s a good thing if you’ve forgotten your Bluetooth speaker at home. You can happily use the iPhone 7 to listen to a few tunes around the campfire without it being drowned out by the lightest breeze or a crackling fire.
There are two speakers now, one at the bottom and one pumping straight out of the earphone slot. This means you get a little stereo separation, but they’re still too close to make it that noticeable.
Apple has done a great job cramming solid speakers into the iPhone 7, but it’s not performed miracles. There’s still a distinct lack of low-end thrills to be had. If you like your bassy music on the go then you’ll want to invest in some decent headphones or a good-quality Bluetooth speaker.

At its highest volume sound gets a bit harsh and tizzy too. Dialogue in a movie has a whiny edge to it. Notching the volume down a few levels helps cure this.
I am being overly picky here, though. The iPhone 7’s speakers are some of the best on any phone. There’s a whole lot more depth and detail than you can get on its predecessors and the move away from dull, mono, sound is a welcome one.
Read on for day one of my review diary where I cover the design and cameras and come back soon for another update to my iPhone 7 review in progress.

Day 1: Design and (lack of some) Features

Let’s start with the headline-grabber, the lack of jack.
Rumours of the trusty 3.5mm headphone jack’s demise on the iPhone 7 have been circling for almost a year now and it turns out they were true. The latest iPhone no longer supports the standard we’ve been used to for the last 50 years. Maybe it’s time for it to put on the slippers and retire along with Scart, VGA and SCSI, maybe not.
I didn’t get caught up in the furore over its omission. I’ve been using wireless headphones for years, and while my best-sounding headphones are wired, I find I use them less and less – a sacrifice for convenience. So far I haven’t experienced any withdrawal symptoms.
The iPhone 7 comes with a Lightning to 3.5mm headphone adapter in the box so you can still use wired headphones with it, however this is exactly the sort of niknak I typically end up losing within a week. Time will tell. Of course using this adapter means you’re taking up the Lightning port. I rarely use wired headphones while charging my phones anyway, so it’s an issue that bothers me less than the lack of connections on, say, the Macbook does.
There’s also a pair of Earpods with a Lightning connector in the box. I’ve never been a fan of Apple’s bundled white earphones and these haven’t made me change my mind one bit. If you decide to get the iPhone 7 then do yourself a favour, invest in pair of good wireless headphones, there are dozens to choose from even before Apple’s own Airpods go on sale.
Related: Best Wireless Headphones
So with that out of the way it’s time to cover the second big sticking point – the design.
The iPhone 7 looks a lot like the iPhone 6S and 6 before it. If you go for one of the standard colours then it’s almost identical.
There have been a few nips and tucks, though. The antenna band now curves to the top of the phone rather than strapping its back and the camera’s lines are curvier.

The limitations of the design are all still present. The iPhone 7 is larger than it should be. The bezel is thicker than we see on Android competitors and that means less screen to body. The Samsung Galaxy S7 is almost the same size but comes with a bigger screen. A few years ago I never thought I’d say that Samsung would be out-designing Apple, but that’s exactly what’s happened.
Still the iPhone 7 is slim, classy and dead easy to use in one hand. The bigger iPhone 7 Plus is another story.
Rather than go for an all new design what Apple has done is launch the iPhone 7 in two new colours – Jet Black and one simply called Black. The latter replaces Space Grey, but it’s the shiny former that took all the limelight during launch – and with good reason.
The Jet Black iPhone 7 looks like no other phone. It’s not like the plastic iPhone 5C – this is a phone made out of metal. It’s smooth to touch without being slippery. Yes it attracts fingerprints, but who cares when it looks this good? If you want to stand out then Jet Black is the iPhone 7 of choice.

Now while the aesthetics may not have changed much, plenty of the design has. For a start the iPhone 7 is officially water and dust-resistant with an IP67 rating. That means it can withstand a little of the wet stuff. It’s meant as a precautionary feature rather than an excuse to play Candy Crush while synchronised swimming, though.
The Home button is another element that’s different. I thought the lack of a physical button would feel weird, but eight hours in and I’m already used to it. At first I swore it had some give, I was sure I could feel it moving down. It's only when I turned the phone off that I realised I'd been duped. That’s how good the new haptic engine is. The feedback it gives you tricks your brain into thinking the button actually moves down. This isn’t smoke and mirrors, it feels real. I thought I’d miss the old iconic iPhone Home button, but I don’t.

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